Machine for sewing on shank-buttons



(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. L. GODING. MAGHINE FOR SEWING 0N SHANK BUTTONS. No. 566,754.

Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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' E. L. GODING.

MAGHINE FOR SEWING 0N SHANK BUTTONS.

No. 566,764. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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(No Model.)

B. L. GODING. MACHINE FOR SEWING ON SHANE BUT TONS. No. 566,754.

Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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E. L. GOD'ING.

MACHINE FOR SEWING ON SHANK BUTTONS.

N6. 566,754. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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(N0 Model.) Y 7 Sheets-Sheet 5,

L. L. GODING. MACHINE FOR SEWING ON SHANK BUTTONS.

Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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Wzltnifs 4M w (No Model.) 'ZSheets-Sheet 6. E. L. GODING. MACHINE FORSEWING ON SHANK BUTTONS.

No. 566,754. Patented Sept. 1, 1896.

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nnwnv L. conme, or PORTLAND, MAINE.

MACHINE FOR SEWING ON SHANK-BUTTONS.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,754, datedSeptember 1, 1896.

Application filed February 3, 1893. Serial No. 460,824. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. GODING, of Portland, in the county ofCumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Sewing Shank-Buttons to Fabrics; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for automaticallysewing shankbuttons to fabrics.

It consists principally in sewing mechanism, mechanism for feeding thefabric combined with a button-feeding mechanism com prising a ribbon towhich is loosely attached a series of buttons, mechanism for moving saidribbon across the path of the needle, and mechanism for taking thebuttons successively from said ribbon and conveying them to the fabric.

It further consists in placingin the path of the needle a grooved orrecessed plate into which the material and shank of the button arepressed in such. position that the needle passes horizontally throughthe fabric on each side of the shank and through the eye of the button,and in certain other details of construction which will be hereinafterfully described and specifically claimed.

In the drawings herewith accompanying and making a part of thisapplication, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved machine, a partof the base being removed. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the same,the ribbontake-up mechanism being in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a bottomplan. Fig. 4c is a detail of the latch for operating the button-holdingthumb. Fi 5 and 6 show the button-holdin g mechanism in differentpositions, Fig. 5 being in the normal position and Fig. 6 in theposition when raised to take the button from the ribbon. Fig. 7 is adetail showing the button-holding thumb-piece down. Fig. 8 is a detailshowing it raised. Fig. 9 is a view of the ribbon-reel with parts brokenout to show interior parts. Fig. 10 is a sectional detail View showingbutton and material in the recess in the plate and the needle passedthrough showing stitch on the under side of the mate rial. Fig. 13 is asectional view of a portion of the ribbon with buttons attached. Fig. 14is a detail showing the cam and table-raising lever. Figs. 15 and 16 aredetails showing the mechanism for independently raising and lowering thebutton feeding mechanism. Fig. 17 is a detail showing section of theribbon-guidewayand the button-stop. Fig. 18 is a detail showing cam andmechanism for operating the feeding-bar.

Same letters refer to like parts.

In said drawings, A represents the base of the machine, and B a raisedarm thereon, which supports the button-feeding mechanism andpresser-foot. Journaled in the base is a main shaft 0 and acounter-shaft D. Rigidly mounted on the main shaft is a pinion a, whichmeshes with a gear I) on the counter-shaft, timed so that fourrevolutions of the main shaft cause one revolution of the counter-shaft.0n the counter-shaft is set a cam-wheel 0, having in the circumferencethereof an irregular cam-path cl. Pivoted at one end to themachine-frame is a lever 6, having a cam-roll f projecting into cam-pathd. The other end of said lever is bifurcated and is connected with aneccentric set in the lower extremity of connectin g-rod h, by havingsaid bifurcated arm restloosely in a groove in the hub of saideccentric. Said eccentric is journaled on a shaft 1', rigidly secured tothe frame, and rigidly secured to the inner side of said eccentric andcentrally of said shaft is a pinion 3', adapted to mesh periodicallywith the gear 7t on the main shaft, gear 7.: having a part of the cogsremoved. The cam'path d is arranged so that once in every fourrevolutions of the main shaft it will throw the lever, eccentric, andgear toward the center until pinion 9' meshes with gear 71) on the mainshaft, and because the connecting-rod is eccentrically set on shaft i itwill give a vertical reciproeating motion to said connecting-rod. Theconnectingrod has a crank connected at the top with a longitudinalrocker-shaft E, which operates the button handling and feedingmechanisms in the manner hereinafter described. Projecting out from geark is a dog Z, arranged to engage with a spur we, set in the shoulder ofeccentric g, the purpose and operation of which will be hereinafterfully explained.

Rigidly attached to the other extremity of the rocker-shaft E is a lever02, to which is pivotally connected a link 0, said link being pivotallyconnected with a perpendicular rod 19, running in guides q and 7', saidrod 1; op erating the mechanism which takes the buttons from the ribbon,conveys them to the position where they are to be sewed to the material,and holds them until the button is sewed on.

In order that rod with its connectin g mechanism may be raised orlowered independently of shaft E, I pivotally attach to the end of shaftEv outside of lever is a locking-lever 6 having a dog f adapted to.enter a recess f 'in lever 17. and lock the two together, a pivoted linkQ, connecting said lever 6 with rod 19. It will thus be seen that whenthe dog is withdrawn from the recess in the end of lever n the rod 19can be raised and lowered without moving the rocker-shaft or any othermechanism except the button-grippin g mechanism. This is important whena thread breaks or a button gets misplaced, because the button-holdingmechanism can be raised by hand to receive another button withoutchanging the relative positions of the other parts of the machine.

Rigidly attached to the arm B is a cam-plate s, and. in the back thereofis an irregular campath 15. Pivotally attached to rod 19 is a swingingarm to, having its lower extremity bifurcated to form fingers 2;,adapted to pass between the body of the button and the ribbon andsurround the shank of the button, as seen in Fig. 6. Passing through aprojection w on said arm to is a rod 00, having on its lower extremity athumb-piece. y, adapted to hold the button upon the fingers. Pivotallyattached to arm u is a dog 2, one end engaging with a rod a and theother adapted to engage with a pivoted latch b as the arm moves upward,whereby the thumb is raised from the fingers, the top of the rod a beingconnected with rod a; by a yoke c, as seen in Figs. 7 and 8. Acoil-spring d constantly tends to keep the thumb down in its normalposition, as seen in Fig. 7. A spring c constantly tends to throw the.arm to outward. Attached to arm a is a cam-roll f, adapted to travel incam -path i. Pivotally set in said cam-path is a latch g, the pivotextending through the plate and controlled by a coil-spring A on theoutside of said plate, as seen in Fig. 2. As rod 19 is drawn up thecam-roll f on the end of swinging lever it rises and follows thecam-path in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5, being forceddownward and forward into the position shown in Fig. 6 by spring e,thence upward and around said swinging latch in the direction indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 6, and thence downward by the downward movement ofrod 19 to the position of starting, as seen in Fig. 5. The latch 12 ispivoted in a plate It, attached to the arm B, so as to permit the dog 2'to return to its normal position by forcing said latch sidewise, as seenin Fig. 4t.

Attached to arm B is a downwardly-extended bar i, to which is attached asection of the ribbon-guideway at the point where the button-operatingmechanism takes the button from the ribbon. This section consists of agrooved and recessed way havinga central open part adapted to admit theshank of a button, as seen in Fig. 17. On the outer end of said sectionis a raised stop is to stop the button and hold the same in posit-ion tobe seized by the button-holding mechanism. Attached to. the arm 13 is asuitable support ing-frame Z", in which is journaled a ribbonreel m,andleading out from said supportingframe is a channel-guideway a, leadingdown to the ribbon-section], being substantially the same incross-section, and attached to the end of said arm B is achannel-guideway leading from the opposite end of said ribbonsection j,into which the ribbon passes from the ribbon-section j. These threesections may be made in one continuous guideway, if preferred. At ornear the top of the arm B is attached a plate F. Mounted on said plateis a ribbon-reel G, a ratchet II, and a leverarm I, carrying a pawl Jadapted to engage said ratchet, the other end of said lever having aslot K, through which projects a spur L, on rod 1). Inside of the hub ofthe ribbonreel is a coil-spring M, attached at one end to the hub, theother end being free, in order that the spring, after it is wound up toa certain tension, may slip, so that the tension of the spring will beconstant, whereby the ribbon-reel will draw the ribbon along and wind itup so long as the machine is in operation. On a journal-bearing N,attached to said plate, is a counter ribbon-guide reel 0. Bigidly set onthe counter-shaft is a cam-wheel 8, having in its circumference acam-path t. A rock-shaft journaled in a suitable hanger has on one endan arm carrying a cam-roll u, adapted to run in said cam-path t, and onthe other end a lever-arm v, to which is pivotally attached an uprightrod w, upon which is mounted the work-table, as seen in Figs. 2 and 14.The work-table may be any suitable frame supported on the end of theupright rod 20 and attached thereto in any convenient manneradapted tosupport the rotating disks 1 the shuttle mechanism, the needle-operatingmechanism, and the takeup mechanism, all of which parts rise and fallwith the table. As cam s revolves it mechanism table.

v v I l I that the table rises and falls twice during each revolution ofshaft D. On the end of the main shaft is a bevel-gear y, meshing with abevel-gear a, loosely keyed on a vertical shaft a", which, throughintermediate mechanism, rotates the shuttle and drives the needle. Shafta has rotating disks b, between which a needle-carrying arm 0 iseccentrically pivoted. The needle-supporting arm consists of ahorizontal part c, a vertical part 0 a horizontal part c, and a verticalpart 0 in the latter of which the needle is supported in a horizontalposition. To the top of the upper disk I) is attached cranks cl, on theend of one of which is a shaft 6, which revolves shuttle'f, resting inthe shuttle-case g. Said shuttle, case, and bobbin may be of anysuitable pattern, that shown being the well-known Wheeler and Wilson. Inthe upper extremity of the needle-carryin g arm 0 is set the needle at",extending in a horizontal direction, as seen in Fig. 2. Inasmuch as theshuttle and needle mechanism are operated directly from the main shaftand the main shaft revolves four times during each revolution of thecounter-shaft, the arrangement of the cam-paths causes the shuttle torotate four times and the needle to make four backward and four forwardmovements while the button-feeding mech anism presents one button andthe fabricfeeding mechanism moves the fabric one space. Rigidly set onthe main shaft is the take-up wheel t", having in its circumference acam-path j. A crank-lever It has on one end a cam-roll adapted to travelin ca1npath j, and the other end having a vertical setoif k linked totake-up slide 5 whereby each revolution of the main shaft imparts abackward and forward movement to said take-up slide.

In the circumference of a cam mounted on the counter shaft is a cam-pathm", and a lever-arm a is connected at one end to a perpendicular rod421', which supports the frame on which the feed-bar slides, the othercarrying a cam-roll operating in said campath, so as to cause said leverto raise and lower said rod alternately. In said lastmentioned cam-wheelis a second cam-path p". A bell-crank lever q, pivoted to the frame in ahorizontal position, has on one end a cam-roll adapted to travel in saidcampath and the other end pivotally connected to a horizontal slide 1'.A vertical lever r is pivotally attached to slide r" and is fulcrumed ator near its center on a pivot attached to standard If, its other endbeing pivotally attached. to the feed-bar by a pin 3" in such mannerthat the lever r makes one forward and one backward motion, the upperend carrying with it the feed-plate during each revolution of thecounter-shaft. Extending transversely to the path of the needle is achannel-plate '0, supported on the top of standards t, as shown in Figs.2 and 10, over which the cloth is designed to be fed and into which thebifurcated end of the button-holding mechanism presses the cloth andshank of a button, as seen in Fig. 10. At or near the center of saidchannel plate, at a point directly under the shank of a button held insaid plate by said bifurcated arm, is a slot 10", and the needle passesthrough said slot, the material y, and the eye in the shank of thebutton, as seen in Fig. 10. I

Set in guideways attached to the end of the arm B is a presser-foot rodP, said rod being adapted to be raised or lowered by means of a lever Q,pivoted in the main frame and connected with said rod. This issubstantially the same as now in common use on sewing-machines. The dogZ on cog 7c, as the cog in revolves, strikes against the spur m on theshoulder of eccentric 9 before the teeth on cog 7cmesh with the teeth onpinion j, attached to the eccentric, thus turning the eccentricslightly, thereby raising the rockershaft and slightly raising rod p andthe button-holding mechanism, as before described. The pivoted lever s,engaging with red a, raises the thumb y and allows the button to bereleased. At the same time the feed mechanism operates to move thefabric along. The dog Z, striking against spur in, turns the eccentricand its pinion j as cog k revolves just far enough so that when thepinion is thrown into mesh with the cog-wheel 7c the wheel and pinionare in the right position to mesh readily with each other, a part of thecogs on cog-wheel being removed.

Inasmuch as the pinion attached to the cocentric is withdrawn from meshwith the cogwheel on the main shaft at intervals, it is in1- portantthat when the lever throws the eccen trio with its pinion back into linewith said cog-wheel on the main shaft the cogs on the pinion should comeinto position to mesh properly; otherwise one cog might strike on theend of the other and stop the machine.

The operation of my improved machine for sewing on buttons is asfollows: The gear I) on the counter-shaft is timed so that once duringeach fourrevolutions of the main shaft the eccentric g and its pinionare forced into engagement with a gear in on the main shaft, which rocksthe shaft E and raises and lowers the rod 13. As the rod 19 rises theroller on the button finger-arm is made to travel around the campath inplate 3, thus causing the finger end to be thrown upward under a button,as seen in Fig. 6, the button-holding thumb to descend upon the button,and as the rod descends to force the fingers with the button-shank downupon the material and hold it there during the time it takes the mainshaft to make the three following revolutions. During each revolution ofthe main shaft the shuttle and the mechanism which operates the needleand take-up mechanisms make a complete revolution. The needle passesthrough the material and shank of the button and forms, with the looper,stitch a The table then drops and the needle forms, with thelooper-thread a, stitch b on the under side of the material. The tablethen rises and the needle again passes through the material and shank ofthe button, making, with the looperthread, stitch 0 The table thendrops, and during the next revolution of the main shaft thebutton-holding mechanism rises to take another button from the ribbonand the feed mechanism feeds the material along one button-space and theneedle forms underneath the material the long or fourth stitch d". Theribbon R, having buttons loosely inserted therein, is wound in a coilupon the reel journaled in the arm 13, thence passing through theguideway under the button handling mechanism, thence upwardly and aroundthe spring-controlled reel Gr. At each downward movement of the rod thereel is turned by the pawl engaging the ratchet and the ribbon drawnalong in the guideway. Should there be a button missing on the ribbon orany unevennesses in the spaces between the buttons, the spring in thereel will tend to draw the ribbon down in the guideway until the nextbutton on the ribbon brings up against the stop. The buttons areattached to the ribbon, which may be of paper, by having their shankforced through the paper at or near the center. The buttons may be setin the ribbon by hand or by any suitable machinery, and such machinerymay be attached to the machine itself or may be embodied in a separatemachine.

The advantages of the herein described machine over those now in use aremany and important. In machines for this purpose as now constructed thebuttons are placed in mass in a hopper and fed down through an inclinedguideway to position where they are to be sewed to the fabric. Ithappens from Va rious causes that sometimes an oversupply of buttonsgets into the guideway and is thrown out on the table or floor, andsometimes, by reason of irregularities in the shape of the buttons ortheir shanks, the buttons in the guideway get clogged and the supply isnot equal to the demand, in which case the operator must stop and workthe buttons down along the guideway by hand. Both of these difficultiesare obviated by the present method of feeding the buttons, whereby thebuttons are presented in constant and regular order.

Again, in the machines as at present constructed special threads have tobe made, and these threads have to be waxed to give them suflicientstiffness to form the necessary loops. Besides being an additionalexpense the waxed threads are objectionable to the trade because theysoil the under face of the material to which the buttons are attached.In my machine any thread can be used and the thread does not require tobe waxed.

In the machines as now constructed, on account of the buttons passingdown the inclined guideway from a mass, it is necessary,

before the buttons are thrown into the hopper, that they be hand-sorted,so that any irregular-shaped buttons may be picked out, else the buttonswould become clogged in the guideway to such an extent as to render themachines practically useless. By the present method of feeding thebuttons this is entirely unnecessary.

The buttons when attached by my improved machine present on the faceside of the material exactly the same appearance as they would had theybeen sewed by hand. In the old single -line machines the stitches areformed through and around the shank of the button in a very irregularand, to the trade, unsatisfactory manner. The under side of thematerial, after the buttons are attached by my machine, presents a neateven appearance, without knots or bunches, the threads between each twosuccessive buttons being simply twisted around each other.

Another great advantage of the presentinvention is that the buttons neednot have so large eyes or so long shanks as are required by the machinesnow in use.

It will be evident that other sewing mechanism and other fabric-feedingmechanism may be used, and that many of the minor details shown in thisconstruction may be changed without altering the principles involved inthis invention, and I do not intend hereby to limit myself to anyparticular sewing mechanism or fabric-feeding mechanism, or to theparticular system of gears, cams, and levers herein described foroperating my machine and the several parts thereof, except ashereinafter specifically set forth in the claims.

Having thus described my invention and its use, I claim-- 1. In amachine for sewingbuttons to fabrics, sewing mechanism, mechanism forfeeding the fabric, intermittent button-feeding mechanism comprising aribbon with a series of shank-buttons attached thereto by having theirshanks pass loosely through said ribbon, tension mechanism tendingconstantly to move said ribbon transversely to the path of the needle,and mechanism for taking the buttons successively from said ribbon andconveying them to the fabric, subtantially as and for the purposes setforth.

2. In a machine for sewing buttons to fabrics, sewing mechanism,mechanism for feeding the fabric, a recessed plate over which the fabricis fed, button-feeding mechanism comprising a ribbon with a series ofshankbuttons attached thereto by having their shanks pass looselythrough said ribbon, mechanism tending constantly to move said ribbontransversely to the path of the needle, and mechanism for taking thebuttons successively from said ribbon, conveying them to the fabric andforcing the fabric and shank into said recess, substantially as and forthe purposes set forth.

3. In a machine for sewing shank-buttons ICC to fabrics, the combinationwith fabric-feeding mechanism, button-feeding mechanism comprising aplunger and button-holder and sewing mechanism, substantially asdescribed, of a rocker-shaft, an arm on the end of said shaft pivotallyconnected with the plunger of the button-feeding mechanism, aneccentric, means whereby the eccentric is adapted to operate saidrocker-shaft, a cog and spur on the eccentric, a cog on the main shaftand a spur on said cog adapted to engage the spur on the eccentric andthereby partially raise the button-holding mechanism and release thebutton, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a machine for sewing shank-buttons to fabrics, sewing mechanism,fabric-feeding mechanism, button-feeding mechanism comprising abutton-carrying ribbon and actuatin g mechanism therefor, andbutton-handlin g mechanism comprising a plunger, a bifurcated carrierpivot-ally attached to said plunger, a cam-path, a cam-roll on the endof said bifurcated carrier adapted to move in said cam-path to givedirection to said carrier, a thumb-piece adapted to hold a button onsaid bifurcated carrier, and means for operating said thumb-pieceindependently of said carrier, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

5. In a machine for sewing shank-buttons to fabrics, sewing mechanism,fabric-feeding mechanism, a ribbon guideway extending transversely tothe path of the needle, a raised stop for the buttons on said guideway,a ribbon holding a series of shank-buttons loosely attached thereto,means for removing said buttons from said ribbon, and mechanismconstantly tending to move said ribbon in said guideway, when themachine is in operation, to bring a button against said step,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a machine for sewing shank-buttons to fabrics, sewing mechanism,fabric-feeding mechanism, a ribbonguideway extending transversely to thepath of the needle, a raised stop on said guideway, a ribbon haw ing aseries of buttons attached thereto and mechanism tending constantly,when the ma chine is in operation, to move said ribbon along saidguideway and bring the forward button against said step, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two Witnesses.

EDWIN L. GODING. Witnesses:

ELGIN G. VERRILL, ELIZABETH KNOWLES.

